Even dead roaches spell trouble

If you think the only good roach is a dead roach, you're wrong. For even dead roaches can cause harm in ways you probably never imagined.

Scientists say the dead roach's eggs, shell, blood and digestive enzymes can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, particularly asthmatics. These potential allergens can remain in the environment long after the roach has died.

Brian Key, chief of allergy and clinical immunology at the University of Kentucky, said about 60 percent of asthmatics are allergic to roaches. The usual victims are laboratory workers, students and field workers who are frequently exposed to roaches - dead or otherwise, according to Drs. Francois Haas and Sheila Sperber Haas in The Essential Asthma Handbook.

"A report by the US Agricultural Department cited studies which show that millions of people are allergic to cockroaches. Reactions can range from a runny nose and skin irritation to difficulty breathing, shock, and in extreme cases, even death," said the editors of Health Alert.

To crack down on roaches, here are some practical tips from Insect and Rodent Control Through Environ¬mental Management: A Community Programme published by the World Health Organization:

Avoid dampness within the house, especially in the kitchen and near water pipes and sinks. Repair leaking faucets, make sure the drainage is working, and avoid spilling water.

Keep the house clean and tidy. Clothes and other household articles should not be kept on the floor.

Store food in closed containers or keep it inside closed cupboards. Household refuse should be placed enclosed containers and disposed of properly.

Improvements inside the house can eliminate the hiding places of roaches. Plug cracks and crevices in walls and floors.

Keep yards and vacant lots clean. Articles which are no longer used should not be placed there.

Make adequate arrangements for both liquid and solid waste disposal in the community.

Aside from this, the following measures are recommended by Consumer Reports, a publication of the Consumers Union of America:

Remove clutter - newspapers, piles of boxes, and so on - from areas where you've seen roaches.

Outside, trim bushes near air vents to keep roaches from getting into the house.

Don't leave pet food out for long.

Use a vacuum cleaner to remove roaches and egg cases from nooks.

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